AUS: Tooheys campaign breaches ad rules - report

Lion Nathan has been forced to change its ad campaign for beer brand Tooheys New after breaking Australian advertising codes.

The Trans-Tasman brewer had to can a 90-second spot and pull four billboard ads after the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau ruled it promoted excessive drinking and the mood-changing effects of beer, The Sydney Morning Herald said yesterday (10 August).

The report said that the ads were initially vetted and approved but came under the scrutiny of Australia's advertising watchdogs after two complaints.

The ad showed a jubilant crowd cheering as it rained beer, the report said. Lion argued that the ad was clearly fantasy but the watchdog disagreed. A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Bureau said the company was forced to make "extensive and expensive" changes, the report added.

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